Other Desert Cities Tops Broadway Box Office

The Hudson Theatre drama earned $2.35 million, the highest weekly gross in the show's run and a new Broadway top for the production.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Arts Theater — General

Wide view of a quiet, unlit limestone theatre facade with tall arched windows on an empty midtown city block in late-afternoon light. — Other Desert Cities became Broadway's top-grossing show last week, earning $2.35 million at the Hudson Theatre as overall weekly grosses fell nearly 13%. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Other Desert Cities became Broadway's top-grossing show for the first time, earning $2.35 million at the Hudson Theatre last week. Much Ado About Nothing also began previews on November 1, grossing $358,262 in its first preview.

Why it matters

The results show star-driven straight plays commanding strong demand in New York City's theatre district, with the top show's gain driven by higher ticket prices rather than added volume. Broadway's overall weekly gross of $29.57 million, however, fell almost 13% from the prior week, signaling uneven performance across the market.

Eleven of the 33 currently running productions earned $1 million or more, and 15 played to 90% or higher seat occupancy. Billy Crystal's 860 set a production record with a $1.35 million weekly gross, though the extraction does not detail the cumulative run totals behind these weekly figures.

The players

Other Desert Cities

A Broadway drama staged at the Hudson Theatre that became the top-grossing show on Broadway for the first time with a $2.35 million weekly gross.

Much Ado About Nothing

A Shakespeare revival that began Broadway previews on November 1 and grossed $358,262 in its first preview performance.

Billy Crystal's 860

A Broadway production that set a production record with a $1.35 million weekly gross.

The details

Other Desert Cities' gain came from higher ticket prices, as the show had already been selling out, and its boost of $85,000 over the prior week followed a period in which it had been comping many tickets. The cumulative average ticket price across Broadway was $117.49 for the same period.

November 1: Much Ado About Nothing begins previews on Broadway.
Week ending around November 2: Other Desert Cities reaches its top gross of $2.35 million.
Winter holidays: Shows are expected to see lucrative box office as previews end.

Industry Dynamics

The results fit a pattern in which star-driven straight plays such as Other Desert Cities and Billy Crystal's 860 are drawing the largest weekly grosses on Broadway. Even so, the week's 13% decline in total Broadway gross shows that strength at the top has not lifted the market as a whole.

Theatergoers planning to see Other Desert Cities or Much Ado About Nothing should expect ticket prices to remain high, given that the top show's gain came from higher prices and its average ticket price was $301.23. Those looking for lower-cost seats may find more options among the shows that are not selling out.

The takeaway

The week shows that a single show can rise to the top of Broadway's box office through pricing even as the overall market softens, so ticket-price trends are worth watching as the winter holidays approach.

What happens next

Much Ado About Nothing is expected to move out of previews and into full eight-performance weeks, with its gross likely to be tracked against Other Desert Cities as the winter holiday season begins.